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Thursday, October 30, 2014

What
do we have in store in the new OSR Track this year at U-Con? Plenty
of awesome things. That's what. Just take a look as some of the
featured events! If you have not registered yet, click the link on this blog and do so!

Friday

What
Is This OSR Thing Anyway?: Friday
evening at 6:00 PM we bring you four OSR Industry Insiders along with
two of Michigan's most prolific OSR bloggers together on a panel to
tackle what has, again become as hot topic. That topic is the
question “What, exactly, is the OSR.” Join, Doug Kovacs (Of DCC
RPG art and cartography fame,) Jim Wampler (creator of Marvin the
Mage and one of the host of the “Spell Burn” and “Save or Die”
podasts,) Tim Snider (author of the Mutant Future supplement “Deviant
Database” and co-author of the horror game system “Cryptworld”,)
Bill Barsh (president and author of Pacesetter
Games & Simulations modules)
along with Adam
Muskiewicz (of the Dispatches
from
Kickassistan blog and editor of the “Metal Gods of Ur-Hadad” DCC
zine) and Ryan Thompson (writer of the Gamers & Grognards blog)
to hammer out this long standing debate!

Mutant
Future: Gimme Shelter III: Down to Earth
– Join Tim Snider, a Mutant Lord who knows loves the Mutant Future
like none other, in this special event, part three of “Gimme
Shelter” the third part in a series that he has been releasing as
free modules for your post apocalyptic needs!

Saturday

AD&D:
Expedition to the Barrier Peaks:
Saturday, in honor of this year's theme: 40 Years of D&D, DM
Shawn Dry is bringing us a special treat! Shawn will be running
“Expedition to the Barrier Peaks” on it's intended system “AD&D”
in it's entirety! To accomplish this Shawn will run this classic
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons module in three parts over three time
slots during the day. The adventure begins at 9:00 AM and continues
through the day in the 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM time slots! So this begs
the question: Are you old school enough to tackle this entire
adventure in one day?

Mutant
Crawl Classics RPG: The Warlord of ATOZ:
U-Con is proud to present a demo game of the up and coming “Mutant
Crawl Classics RPG” being run by none other than “Spell burn's”
Jim Wampler! If you love DCC and Post Apocalyptic scenarios, you
won't want to miss out on this!

AD&D
1e/OSRIC: Game with the Creator: It Rose From Below:
The discerning grognard will not want to miss out on a new release
for 1st
Edition play. Join president of Pacesetter
Games & Simulations, Bill
Barsh as he runs a special U-Con release, never seen before made to
be played with the AD&D/OSRIC rules! This will be the first time
the module is publicly played or seen! Be their if you're a fan of
old school AD&D!

A
strange tower shows up in the village square overnight. A void-eyed
wizard emerges from the tower and declares "Your world is lost!
Join me and you will be saved!" Then the wizard disappears into
the tower again. Hilarity ensues.

Sunday

Mutant
Crawl Classics RPG: The Museum at the End of Time:
Bring
your breakfast Sunday Morning and join Judge Jim as he presents you
with an early look at what a 0-Level funnel looks like in the
post-apocalypse! Another demo of the as yet to be released “Mutant
Crawl Classics!”

Swords
& Wizardry Complete: Palace of the Vampire Queen:
What
do you get when you combine a clone of the first version of D&D
created, with the first ever publish module? A great way to
celebrate 40 Years of D&D is what! Join Referee Ryan Thompson
and the Michigan OSR in an epic close to a perfect weekend as we
celebrate the 40th
Anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons as only the OSR can!

We
will be hosting the first-ever published full-length module, "Palace
of the Vampire Queen," being run with the popular clone of the
Original Dungeons & Dragons rules, Swords & Wizardry
Complete! We hope you can join us for this event to close out the
weekend! For 3 centuries the peasants of the Dwarvish island of
Baylor have feared the raids of the Vampire Queen and her minions.
Sweeping down at night from the palace in the shrouded peaks of the
island, they range ever farther in their search for blood. And not
only blood--the children of dwarf peasants often disappear if they
are so unfortunate as to be out at night. Even the cities are no
longer safe. The most recent victim was the Princess of Baylor,
daughter of King Arman, who was taken in a midnight raid on the
capital city of Ar Toe within the past weeks. King Arman has offered
fabulous riches and land holdings with titles to the person or
persons who can brace the stronghold of the Vampire Queen and return
his daughter to him alive and well. But, in truth, he holds little
hope. For even King Arman, Ruler of Baylor, Defeater of the Ten Orc
Tribes, is afraid in his heart to face the Vampire Queen.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Well, as promised, I present you all with the U-Con OSR Track schedule! If you have not yet registered and are thinking about going, I suggest that you get on it! We already have a couple events booked up! You can register here. You will notice we have a few really cool events involving our Guests of Honor +Doug Kovacs, +Jim Wampler, +Tim Snider and Bill Barsh of Pacesetter Games, who will have a special release for U-Con! This year I intend to begin a new tradition. A trophy of some sort will be given to the winner of my annual running of "Palace of the Vampire Queen." If you have any questions, please ask me via G+ or Facebook. As always, be excellent to eachother and FIGHT ON!

Friday

10a 3942 Swords & Wizardry: Eruptor's Vengeance, GM: Ryan Thompson, 10 players, No XP/Simple, Friday 10a-2p. In a forest glade a horrific battle has ended in a draw with all the combatants lying in ruin. A red dragon and its attackers have all fallen in glorious battle. Now the race is on to recover the dragon's treasure horde. However, tangling with a dead dragon can be a dangerous enterprise. Family Friendly (7+) $3.00

2p 3929 Swords & Wizardry Complete (Introduction to S&W): The Screaming Temple, GM: Ryan Thompson, 10 players, No XP/Simple, Friday 2p-6p. The temple arose in the span of a single night! Tall walls hide a mysterious temple steeped in obscurity. Rumors of incredible wealth, abhorrent evil, and dark magic swirl about its secretive walls. The local authorities have shown no interest, yet rumors persist. But no one can claim knowledge of the temple. No priests have been seen, no markings adorn its walls . . . in fact, no person has come out or gone in. The only signs of life are the occasional nightmarish screams that shatter the night. This is an introduction to Swords & Wizardry. Rules will be taught through play, pre-gens will be provided. Family Friendly (7+) $3.00

3p 3859 Dungeon Crawl Classics: Elzemon and the Blood-Drinking Box, GM: Roy Snyder, 8 players, No XP/Simple, Friday 3p-7p. Dungeon Crawl Classics Special Module: Elzemon and the Blood-Drinking Box, a level 1 adventure by Terry Olson. You're an adventurer: a reaver, a cutpurse, a heathen-slayer, a tight-lipped warlock guarding long-dead secrets. You seek gold and glory, winning it with sword and spell, caked in the blood and filth of the weak, the dark, the demons, and the vanquished. Seeking the favor of a powerful wizard, the party agrees to steal an artifact from a rival's sanctum. The wizard requires, however, that PCs "feed" the artifact lawful blood to imprison its contents! Return to the glory days of fantasy with the Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game. Adventure as 1974 intended you to, with modern rules grounded in the origins of sword and sorcery. Fast play, cryptic secrets, and a mysterious past await you. General Audience (13+) $3.00

7p 3848 Dungeon Crawl Classics: A Tree Falls in the Forest, GM: Adam Muszkiewicz, 8 players, Some XP/Average, Friday 7p-12a. Hideous beasts have suddenly emerged from the depths of the forest and ravage the countryside! Can the PCs solve the mystery of their origin and stem the tide of death before it's too late? A Dungeon Crawl Classics adventure for level 2 characters. Adults Only (18+) $3.00

8p 3880 Mutant Future: Mystery of the Spideriods , GM: Forest Ray, 6 players, No XP/Simple, Friday 8p-11p. OH NO! The spideriods have invaded your village (again) and now it is up to you to end the threat. You will face danger, but if you survive you may solve the mystery and save your village. Characters will be created at game time. General Audience (13+) $3.00 3890 Mutant Future: Gimme Shelter III: Down to Earth, GM: Tim Snider, 6 players, No XP/Simple, Friday 8p-12a. NOW HIRING: Barter John needs six apocalyptic scavengers to investigate last month's meteorite impact crater. Rumors of extraterrestrial infestation are to be ignored. Any retrieved Bygone artifacts will be split 60-40. Tools and transportation provided. No mants or boulderoids need apply. General Audience (13+) $3.00 3949 Dungeon Crawl Classics: Return To Punjar, GM: Doug Kovacs, 6 players, Some XP/Simple, Friday 8p-12a. Naive villagers go to the big city to do crimes and get into terrible trouble. NOTE: this game is for teens or adults only, as it may contain drug use and references to the oldest profession. General Audience (13+) $3.00

Saturday

9a 3881 Swords & Wizardry White Box: Keep on the Borderlands, GM: Forest Ray, 8 players, No XP/Simple, Saturday 9a-12p. This is the classic old-school module restated (by me) for Swords & Wizardry white box. If you have played this one in the past be ready for some new twists to this classic game. Characters will be created at game time. Family Friendly (7+) $3.00 3897 1e AD&D: Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, Part 1, GM: Shawn Dry, 6 players, No XP/Average, Saturday 9a-1p. Something is amiss in the mountains of the Grand Duchy of Geoff. Experience the beginning of this classic module during this morning session. Each Barrier Peaks session will be a stand-alone adventure; playing in the later sessions is not required, though you are welcome to come back for more. Pregens provided. General Audience (13+) $3.00 3923 Dungeon Crawl Classics: Frozen In Time, GM: Edward Kabara, 6 players, No XP/Simple, Saturday 9a-1p. Eons-old secrets slumber beneath the forbidden Ghost Ice. Since the time of the Elders, the local tribes have shunned the crawling glacier, knowing it as taboo land that slays all who tread its frigid expanse. Now, the Ghost Ice has shattered, revealing hints at deeper mysteries entombed within its icy grasp. Strange machines and wonderful horrors stir beneath the ice. . . . Frozen in Time is a level 1 adventure for any DCC RPG campaign. Family Friendly (7+) $3.00

2p 3847 Dungeon Crawl Classics: Slaves of the Silicon God, GM: Adam Muszkiewicz, 8 players, Some XP/Average, Saturday 2p-7p. Ever since taking up residence in the long-lost jungle temple, the tribe of ape men has grown ever more daring. Now they've gone too far and kidnapped several village youths. The chief is calling for vengeance! The ape men must pay! A Dungeon Crawl Classics adventure for level 1 characters. Adults Only (18+) $3.00 3870 EPT: Tekumel: The Broken Tower of Gilraya Forest, GM: Brett Slocum, 8 players, No XP/Simple, Saturday 2p-6p. Explore The Time of No Kings, Tekumel's age of legends, in this old-school swords-and-sorcery adventure. The stone ruin stood empty for centuries, little more than a tumble of rocks. Is it a castle? A wizard's tower? A monastery? Perhaps a prison? A beautiful queen of the city-state of Rü hires the adventurers to find out and return with the spoils. No knowledge of Tekumel required. General Audience (13+) $3.00 3893 Mutant Crawl Classics RPG: The Warlord of ATOZ, GM: Jim Wampler, 8 players, No XP/Average, Saturday 2p-6p. Masses of dispossessed refugees have begun to flood your jungle village, all telling the tragic tale of a conquering horde of savage warlords armed with magic boom sticks. The invaders claim to follow one of the Ancient Ones from before the Great Disaster--the great and powerful god ATOZ. The tribal elders of your village have elected to send you and your 1st-level mutant friends out on a scouting mission, a mission that will involve stealth, cunning, and luck--as you seek out the power behind "The Warlords of ATOZ." Family Friendly (7+) $3.00 3898 1e AD&D: Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, Part 2, GM: Shawn Dry, 6 players, No XP/Average, Saturday 2p-6p. Something is amiss in the mountains of the Grand Duchy of Geoff. Experience a part of this classic module during this session. Each Barrier Peaks session will be a stand-alone adventure; playing in the other sessions is not required, though you are welcome to play any and all of them. Pregens provided. General Audience (13+) $3.00 4310 AD&D 1e/OSRIC: Game with the Creator: It Rose From Below, GM: Bill Barsh, 8 players, No XP/Simple, Saturday 2p-6p. The peaceful morning welcomed the morning sun and the people made their way to the market. Then the earth shuddered and thunderous sound shattered glass. The market square erupted in a shower of stone, dust, and water. A screeching such as made by a thousand banshees pierced the air, causing all within the city to cry out in pain. A spire of black rose from the ground in the center of the market. Reaching a height of several hundred feet, the spire grew no more and all was silent. Fear grips the city and adventurers are needed. For no portals can be found and an expedition into the labyrinth of sewers below the new city must be undertaken to find the entrance to what rose from below. It Rose From Below is an adventure module for the First Edition game using 6 to 8 characters of 4th-level experience. GC4 It Rose From Below is the fourth adventure in the special convention series by Pacesetter Games & Simulations. Although this module is part of an ongoing series, it is not necessary to have played the previous 3 adventures to enjoy this module. This special print module has been produced exclusively for U-Con. General Audience (13+) $3.00

3p 3882 Swords & Wizardry Complete: MCMLXXV (1975), GM: Forest Ray, 6 players, No XP/Simple, Saturday 3p-6p. This module from Frog God games is designed for old-school play. The idea is to find the Monsters, kill them, and take their stuff! Characters will be created at game time. General Audience (13+) $3.00

8p 3856 Swords & Wizardry: Return the Stolen, GM: West Michigan Roleplaying Gamers, 5 players, No XP/Simple, Saturday 8p-12a. For once it is the elves seeking help from the other races to deal with "a small problem." You and your companions will travel over land and sea to seek the All Descendant. All materials and pre-gens provided--players can choose from Paladin (Elf), Cleric/Druid (Human), Fighter (Human) Ranger (Half Elf), Mage (Human), or Bard (Halfling). No experience needed. Game and role-play can be adjusted for young players. For any questions please e-mail Dave Perrin at davidcperrin@hotmail.com Family Friendly (7+) $3.00 3860 Dungeon Crawl Classics: The Tower Out of Time, GM: Roy Snyder, 6 players, No XP/Simple, Saturday 8p-12a. Dungeon Crawl Classics #77.5: The Tower Out of Time, a level 2 adventure by Michael Curtis. You're an adventurer: a reaver, a cutpurse, a heathen-slayer, a tight-lipped warlock guarding long-dead secrets. You seek gold and glory, winning it with sword and spell, caked in the blood and filth of the weak, the dark, the demons, and the vanquished. From out of the past comes an ancient evil to plague the present! A mystifying tower crowned by a blinding blood-red light has appeared in the forest, arriving as a never-before-seen comet burns in the sky above. Is its arrival a harbinger of terrible times ahead? Only those heroes brave enough to confront what lurks behind the inexplicable walls of the Pharos of Scales can solve the mystery! Return to the glory days of fantasy with the Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game. Adventure as 1974 intended you to, with modern rules grounded in the origins of sword and sorcery. Fast play, cryptic secrets, and a mysterious past await you. General Audience (13+) $3.00 3891 Cryptworld: Forget-Me-Not, GM: Tim Snider, 6 players, No XP/Simple, Saturday 8p-12a. Horrific axe murders recently committed in Oregon's Tillamook State Forest are identical to those committed by the legendary "Paul Bunyon Butcher" 40 years ago. However, the original killer--now elderly and feeble--remains behind bars. Has a copycat killer surfaced, or is this the work of something even more sinister? General Audience (13+) $3.00 3899 1e AD&D: Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, Part 3, GM: Shawn Dry, 6 players, No XP/Average, Saturday 8p-12a. Something is amiss in the mountains of the Grand Duchy of Geoff. Experience the end of this classic module during this session. Each Barrier Peaks session will be a stand alone adventure; playing in the earlier sessions is not required, though you are welcome to play any and all of them. Pregens provided. General Audience (13+) $3.00 3950 Dungeon Crawl Classics: The Spine Wizard's Tower, GM: Doug Kovacs, 6 players, Some XP/Simple, Saturday 8p-12a. A strange tower shows up in the village square overnight. A void-eyed wizard emerges from the tower and declares "Your world is lost! Join me and you will be saved!" Then the wizard disappears into the tower again. Hilarity ensues. General Audience (13+) $3.00 4108 Stars Without Number: Stars Without Number and Other Dust, GM: Andrew Moss, 6 players, No XP/Simple, Saturday 8p-11p. A combination of Kevin Crawford's sci-fi and post-apocalyptic sandbox RPGs. Explore an enormous alien freighter that's cruising the cosmos and capturing ships randomly. Characters will be provided, or bring your own. General Audience (13+) $3.00

Sunday

9a 3883 Stars Without Number: For the Want of a Ship, GM: Forest Ray, 8 players, No XP/Simple, Sunday 9a-12p. You and your companions have gotten word of a old Starship that can be salvaged and put back in service. The only problem is, so have others and not all are human or friendly. Can you and your party find the ship and keep others away while repairs are made? But beware, for not all is as it seems. Characters will be created at game time. General Audience (13+) $3.00 3892 Mutant Crawl Classics RPG: The Museum at the End of Time, GM: Jim Wampler, 8 players, No XP/Average, Sunday 9a-1p. Your band of Level-0 humans, mutants, sentient animals, and walking plants have been set out upon the Rite of Passage in hopes of becoming full-fledged Rovers for your tribes. Venturing through hothouse jungle and across blast-glass desert you soon find the ruins of a green porcelain palace--a treasure trove of ancient artifacts sufficient to satiate desires both subtle and gross. You'll soon rule your tribes, if only you can survive "The Museum at the End of Time." Family Friendly (7+) $3.00

10a 3861 Dungeon Crawl Classics: Glipkerio's Gambit, GM: Roy Snyder, 6 players, No XP/Simple, Sunday 10a-2p. Dungeon Crawl Classics #80.5: Glipkerio's Gambit, a level 2 adventure by Jobe Bittman. You're an adventurer: a reaver, a cutpurse, a heathen-slayer, a tight-lipped warlock guarding long-dead secrets. You seek gold and glory, winning it with sword and spell, caked in the blood and filth of the weak, the dark, the demons, and the vanquished. Atop the highest spire of Mount Tyche, your patron's temple is under attack. A demonic miasma rolls down the frost-blasted peaks leaving a vile stench and foul magics in its wake. Winged black creatures roost along the crumbling solitary road to the temple. The bloodthirsty shrieks of snow apes and the moans of the tortured dead echo from the jagged rocks above. Your patron has saved your skin more times than you can count. Now it is your turn! Return to the glory days of fantasy with the Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game. Adventure as 1974 intended you to, with modern rules grounded in the origins of sword and sorcery. Fast play, cryptic secrets, and a mysterious past await you. General Audience (13+) $3.00

1p 3930 Swords & Wizardry Complete: Palace of the Vampire Queen, GM: Ryan Thompson, 10 players, No XP/Average, Sunday 1p-5p. In honor of the 40th Anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons and Roleplaying, the OSR Track is proud to present it's crown jewel. We will be hosting the first-ever published full-length module, "Palace of the Vampire Queen," being run with the popular clone of the Original Dungeons & Dragons rules, Swords & Wizardry Complete! We hope you can join us for this event to close out the weekend! For 3 centuries the peasants of the Dwarvish island of Baylor have feared the raids of the Vampire Queen and her minions. Sweeping down at night from the palace in the shrouded peaks of the island, they range ever farther in their search for blood. And not only blood--the children of dwarf peasants often disappear if they are so unfortunate as to be out at night. Even the cities are no longer safe. The most recent victim was the Princess of Baylor, daughter of King Arman, who was taken in a midnight raid on the capital city of Ar Toe within the past weeks. King Arman has offered fabulous riches and land holdings with titles to the person or persons who can brace the stronghold of the Vampire Queen and return his daughter to him alive and well. But, in truth, he holds little hope. For even King Arman, Ruler of Baylor, Defeater of the Ten Orc Tribes, is afraid in his heart to face the Vampire Queen. General Audience (13+) $3.00

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Hey there folks. One big announcement to go with this Halloween cheesecake today. Pre-registration for U-con has begun. I will get a full listing of what is happening with the OSR Track up by next week. We have a couple things to take care of first. If you intend to come and run a game, you have until October 17th to do so. You can check out what we have to this point, register or submit a game here.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

It is the first of October. That means some things. Firstly, Halloween closes in. For me that means lots of horror flicks, some Lamentations of the Flame Princess, Type-O-Negative coming out of the speakers and finding a costume for Slick Rick's birthday party. It used to mean a lot of preparation for something far different, and maybe someday it will again (sorry to be cryptic. No, I'm not really sorry.) It also means that U-Con is right around the corner. For the blog though, it means Hump-day Hildebrandt becomes Octhorror Fest. Every Wednesday we will see a monster/horror themed painting. You're welcome.

Look forward to my next "Goldenrod attributes" post some time soon. The first will detail the physical attributes and how they play off of eachother with my house rules. Until then, Dracula on!